Machine and process for opening nut shells



Oct. 1924.

H. A. VWAD ELL ET m. MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR OPENING NUT SHELLS Filed April 10 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Get. 7 1924.

H. A. WADELL ET AL MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR OPENING NUT SHELLS Filed April 10 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 uuenliql': #z/rm 1. 14/8181; 1;; film ire/ff CHM aw Patented Oct. 7, 1924.

UNITED STATES Y PATENT orrica.

BARON A. WADELL AND SVEN AXEL STALBERG, OF MEXICO, MEXICO.

MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR OPENING NUT SHELLS Application tiled April 10. 1823 Serial No. 631.119

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HAKON A. WADELL and SVEN Axnr. STZLBERG, subjects of the King of Sweden, residents ofMexico city, Federal District, Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines and. Processes for Opening Nut Shells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to a machine for cutting and stripping nut shells, especially designed for opening the shells of palm-nuts such as those called coquitos in Spanishv America. The hard shell of the coquito nut is longitudinally sawn into from both sides and then pushed up against two oppositely disposed wedges fastened on a tubular head which is provided with interiorly disposed, opposite rails along which the kernel or meat of the nut is slid and finally discharged through said tubular head, separately from two split halves of the shell.

Up to now, several machines have been invented for separating the kernels of such nuts, but all are based upon the principle of cracking the nut, the shell of which is extremely hard and not easily breakable. Hence when cracked, the broken fragments of the shell are forced into the kernel which is not easily separated from the shell.

With our invention, the two halves of the shell fall by their own weight towards each side, while the massive kernel advances through the tubular'head, entirely free from any particle of the shell.

Our invention furthermore has for an object to provide a new feeding device or mechanism by which the small cocoanuts are inserted endwise into a feeding channel which will place them in a resting horizontal position from which they are snapped one by one into a tubular centering device which I ejects them endwise towards two disc-saws.

Nuts of any size whatever areheld in proper position and at the proper distance from the two oppositely revo ving saws.

Inthe drawing:

Fig.1 is an elevation, partially in vertical section, of our machine.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the feeding mechanlsm.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the machine with the feedin mechanism removed and certain parts in orizontal section.

Fig. 4 is a partsectional end view of the centering device.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section' ofv the centering device and the plunger.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the shell opener with the guiding rails for the kernel.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the yielding gripping device.

ur machine comprises a. portable frame work formed by the base plate 1 upon which are fastened the end standards 2, the inter mediate standards 3 and two central standards 4 for the main shaft 5, the movement of which is transmitted to all the parts of, the machine. said shaft carrying an operating handle 6.

On the shaft 5 is also fastened a double channelled pulley 7 which transmits movement to the pulleys 8 fastened on two shorter shafts 9, as indicated in Fig. 2, each of which shafts 9, in the construction shown, carries three grooved feed rollers 10 provided with. eccentric flanges 11.

Presser rollers 12 coact with the feed rollers 10 and are mounted on axles 13 journaled in bifurcated arms 14 pivoted at 15 to the c0ver'16; and between the latter and the heel 17 of each bifurcated arm is insented a spring 18 which presses the roller 12 against the corresponding tubular feeding chute 19.

The chute 19 is circular in cross-section at itsupper end; but towards its lower end. where it joins the cover 16, said chute becomes somewhat oval.

The lower end of each chute 19 is cut away at opposite sides, as shown in Fig. 7 ;-and across the openings thus produced extend two flexible bars 20 fastened at their inner ends in the adjacent intermediate standard 3-, the outer ends of said bars resting in horizpntal openings 21 formed in'a vertical supponting plate 22 which is mounted upon the centering tubes 23.

Elongated rollers 24 are mounted upon the flexible bars 20 forming elastic grippers for the cocoanuts. The tubes 23am fastened by their reduced extensions 25 to the intermediate standards 3. and springs 26 exert.

a conical socket 32-.to receive the end of a nut. The plunger furthermore has two op= positelydisposed grooves 33 into which project two circular saws 34.

The plunger-s 31 carry in their bifurcated inner ends small rgllers 35 mounted on pivots 36 to which a set of arms 37 is also pivoted. These arms 37 have projecting pins 38 to which are fastened spiral springs 39 for maintaining the distance between two opposing arms. The lower ends of said arms 37 project through holes 40 in the base plate 1 and are thereby fulcrumed, and when a plunger on the left side of the ma chine ejects a kernel from the machine, then a plunger on the right side of the machine will be drawn out of its tube preparatory to ejecting a kernel from that side of the machine. Cams 41 are mounted on the main shaft 5 and act upon the rollers 35.

To each end standard 2 are fastened ad- I justable upper arms 42 and 43, and lower arms 44 and 45; the two upper arms 42 and 43 supporting the small shaft 46 carrying the upper saws, and the two lower arms 44 and 45 supporting the shaft 47 carrying the lower saws.

Upon the shafts 46 and 47 are also tastened the transmission pulleys which are belted to receive movement from a pulley 48 loosely mounted on the drive shaft 5,

' the latter having keyed to it a pinion 50 forming one element of a speed-increasing train. This pinion 50 meshes with a small pinion 49 having fastened to it a large pinion 51 which, in turn, meshes with and drives a small pinion 52 fast on the hub 53 of pulley 48.

In each end standard 2 is mounted a set of shell-opening devices, one for each tube 23 and in line therewith, each device comprising a tubular head 54 inserted in the standard and provided with wedges 55 which enter the two opposing incisions made in the shell by the saws. Beyond the wedges, and extending through the tubular head, are arran d guide rods or rails 56. When the two halves of the shell have been separated by the wedges 55, then the kernel of the nut will he slid along the rails 56 and discharged through the tubular head 54, dropping outside of the hine.

The supporting arms 42, 43, 44 45 are adjustable on the standards so as to compensate for wear on the circular saws 34, and on the top of the machine is mounted a hopper 57 having two compartments, each of which will feed the cocoanuts to the corresponding half of the machine which,

as will be understood, has a double action. The parts at each side correspond exactly with those of the other side.

1 The operation of the machine is as folows:

The nuts are fed endvvise from the hopper v 57, due to the cooperation between the roll flanges 11 and the presser rollers 12, and slide down the chutes 19 one at a time, finally assumin a horizontal position between the yiel ing gripping rollers 24 at the bottom of the chutes. By the feeding action pressing down on the nut held by the gripping rollers 24, that nut will be sprung through the opening 30 and engaged by the centering levers 28, which are constantly held in equidistant position with relation to the axial line of the tube 23. Under the action of the cam 41, the plunger 31 will exert pressure on the end of the cocoanut, forcing it outward through said tube and in between the upper and lower circular saws 34 where it is cut. lVhen further advanced, the cocoanut will be split by the upper and lower wedges 55, the her nel being immediately enga ed by the guide rails 56, and while both halves of the shell fall by gravity through the machine, the kernel will advance through the tubular head 54 and fall outside of the machine. Vlhen a plunger is in such extreme position. the corresponding opposite plunger will have been retracted to a position in which the opening 30 in the corresponding feed tube 23 is unobstructed by the plunger, and a nut will fall thereinto through said opening, repeating the same-movements as just described.

As all six plungers shown are not simultaneously brought to the same position of advance orretreat in their reciprocatingmovements,-the load and resistance will be till llll) evenly distributed; and during each revolution of the handle 6 three nuts on one side h of the machine will be cut and shelled. while during the next revolution of the handle three conesponding actions on the op osite side of the machine will take place. ur machine, as will be seen from the foregoing description, is portable, due to its reduced weight, but sulficiently rapid in action to insure a great yield, and all the kernels are delivered absolutely intact with the exception of the small incisions made by the saws. Virtually no part of the kernel is lost with the exception of the insignificant portion cut away by the saw teeth.

In case no transportation difliculties have to be taken into consideration, machines may be constructed comprisingmore than three sets on each side, but in such event the machine could probably not be worked manually and the handle 6 would be substituted llfl cooperating with said feeding rollers. flexible grippers for snap-ping the nuts one at a time into centering tubes, centering levers projecting inwardly into said centering tubes, reciprocating: plungers therein, oppositely-disposed cutting devices projecting into said centering tubes. 'wedge-sluqwd splitters alined with said cutting devices for removing the shells, and guiding members for the kernels.

2. A machine for opening nut shells. comprising a hopper, grooved feeding rollers at the discharging openings in said hopper, said rollers having eccentric flanges, spring-loaded presser rollers cotuierating with said feeding rollers. chutes leading to gripping members. centering tubes each with a lateral inlet, yieldingly mounted centering levers projecting into the interior of said centeringtubes. reciprocating plungers therein, pairs of adjustable alined cutting devices projecting into said centering tubes, a tubular passage for the kernel of less diameter than that of' the shell. guiding members in said passage. wedges taeing'the cutting lines of said cutting devices. and means for operating said plunger-s in succession.

3. A machine for shelling nuts, eompris-, ing a centering tube having opposed, lougitudinal slots in its outer end and a Feed opening in its upper portion intermediate its ends, a feed chute discharging into said opening, a pair of yielding gripping rollers at the bottom of the chute for snapping the nuts one at a time through said opening into the tube, shell-cutting devices projecting. through said slots, a reciprocatory plunger working in said tube for forcing the nuts endwise therethrough and against the cutting devices, and 'means for stripping the cut shell from the kernel as a nut passes beyond said cutting, devices; substantially as described.

4. In a machine for shelling nuts, the combination of cutting devices for making incisions in the shells of the nuts, means for feeding the nuts one at a time to the cutting devices, a hollow tubular head positioned to receive the nuts as they pass beyond the cutting devices, oppositely-facing wedges disposed in line with the cutting devices and extending toward the same from said head to enter and expand the incisions and strip the split shells from the kernels, and ide rods in said head extending rearwar ly beyond the wedges to engage and support the kernels; substantially as described.

- 5. In a machine for shelling nuts, the combination of a pair of axially-alining centering tubes disposed in spaced relation, means for feeding nuts, one atv a time, to each tube, shell-incising means associated with each tube, a pair of reversely-acting plungers working in said tubes to feed the nuts therethrough to the incising. means in alternation, operating means for the plungers, and means for ex iandin the incisions I and stripping the split shells from the kernels; substantially as described. I

6. nut-shelling machine. according to claim I. in which the plungers have a. common operating element. located in the space between the confronting inner ends of the tubes, and in which a coil sn'in", also dis- I I l u r posed in said space, yieldingl connects the plungcrs scribed.

'7. Tu a machine for shelling nuts. the combination of a pair of axially-alining centering tubes disposed in spaced relation, means for feeding nuts. one at a. time. to each tube. shell-incising means associated with each tube. a. pair of 'reversely-acting plungcrs working in said tubes-to feed the nuts therethrough to the incising means in alternation, a roller on the inner end of each plunger. a. depending arm pivotally related to the said inner end of each plunger and t'ulcrumed adjacent its lower end in the machine. a'coil spring connected at its opposite ends to said arms. a rotary cam disposed in the space between the two centering tubes and adapted to engage the rollers on both plungers to operate the same in alternation. and means for expanding the together; substantially as deincisions and stripping the split shells from the kernels; substantially as described.

8. In a. nut-shelling machine, the combination 01 a centering tube having a plurality of longitudinal slits, a set of centering levers movable inwardly through said slits to engage and support a nut, shell-incising means located adjacent the discharge end of the tube, means for feeding the nuts one at a time into said tube into position to be engaged by the centering levers, means for forcing the nuts through the tube while so engaged and into the zone ofaction of the ineising means, and means for expanding thejncisions and stripping the split shells from the kernels; substantially as described.

9. In a nut-shelling machine, the combi nation of a centering tube having a plurality of longitudinal slits, means for feeding nuts one at a time into the interior of the tube, a set of centering levers pivotally mounted at one end in said slits, means for simultaneously exerting pressure on all of the levers to move them inwardlythrough I incisions and stripping the split shells from the kernels; substantially as described.

10. Ina nut-shelling machine, the combination of a centering tube having a lurality of longitudinal slits, means for coding 4 and means for expanding the incisions and stripping the split shells from the kernels; substantially as described. w

11. A method of shelling nuts, comprising the steps of feeding the nuts one at a time to a centering device, forcin them endvvise through said device, forming longitudinal incisions in opposite sides of the shells during the passage of the nuts therethrough, in-- troducing Wedges alined with the incisions into the front ends of the latter during the continued endwise movement of the nuts so as to expand the incisions and strip the split shells from the kernels, supporting and guiding the kernels during their further endwise movement after the shells have been stripped therefrom, and finally discharging the kernels; substantially as described.

12. In a machine for shelling nuts, the

all of y fiirough f combination of a'centering tube having opposed, longitudinal slots in its outer end and also having a feed opening; a pair of yielding gripping rollers located at said opening or snapping the nuts one at a time therethrough into the tube; means for feeding the nuts to said rollers; shell-cutting devices projecting through the slots in said tube; and a reciprocatory plunger Working in said tube for forcing the nuts endvvise therethrough and against the cutting devices. v v

13. In a machine for shelling nuts, the combination of a centering tube having opposed, longitudinal slots in its outer end; shell-cutting devices projecting through said slots; means for forcing the nuts end- Wise, one at a time, through the tube and against the cutting devices; a hollow, tubular head alining with the centering tube to receive the nuts therefrom as they pass beyond'the cutting devices; and oppositelytacing devices mounted in the receiving tube in line with said cutting devices to expand the cuts made by the latter and strip the shells from the kernels.

lin testimony whereof We have aed our signatures.

HAKQN A. WADELL.

SVEN AXEL STALBERG. 

